Truly, Madly, Deeply (Irresistible Sequel)
by PercyFosterMellark
Summary: Life doesn't get much worse than being stuck with a house full of weird guys. But the idea of seeing her again make it seem more bearable. If it's Callie or my mom, I can't decide. But for now, it's Callie, who's done the impossible, making me fall for a girl like her.
1. Chapter 1 (Brandon)

"You two are so sex buddies," A tall, super buff guy says. I found out that his name is James, and if it weren't for his baby face, he'd be a pretty scary guy. But overall, he looks like a baby on steroids. "Did you not see how she was clinging to you?"

"We aren't sex buddies," I tell him for the millionth time, and Jacob, the small scrawny guy next to me just laughs. "Callie is not some stupid toy that you play with! She's already had enough guys trying to mess around with her."

"I highly doubt it. I've never seen a boy that happy to see a girl. Unless it's his sex buddy."

"Unless your a five year old who got cookies from his mom," Jackson pipes up from his spot in the corner. "Sex buddies, Friends with benefits. Which ever one floats your boat."

I shake my head, feeling dizzy. Why do all of their names begin with J? Why can't they start with a different letter? And sex buddies? Do they honestly think that Callie is a toy for them to mess around with? "I actually care about her. I already told you that she's not my s-"

"Man," Justin says, cutting me off, shaking his head at me like I disappinted him. "She's a _hot_ sex buddy. Unless you want to be called friends with benefits, Brandon? That's your name, right?"

"Why do all of your names start with J?" I ask stupidly, hoping it'll make them stop talking about Callie like this. She is so much better than what they make her sound like. I can't wait until the guy who runs this place gets here. He actually seems somewhat right in the head.

"Hey, I don't know. Do all of our names actually begin with J?" Jake says, as if he's just realizing this. "Who is there? Me, Jake. Then there's Jackson, Jay, Jacob, James... Oh, and Justin. Can't forget about him. Then we get to you, newbie! Brandon!"

Jake says happily as he puts his arm around my shoulders. "From now on, you'll be our little lab rat! Brandon the brown lab rat. Like your hair!"

Everyone here is officially high, and I'm just sitting there, my head between my knees. I feel like I'm going to be sick. "Bro?" Someone asks, and for once, nobody is yelling, or shouting, they're talking in a normal voice level. Thankfully, or my headache would've got even worse.

"You okay?" I decide that it's James talking to me, and his hand is on my back.

Why are these boys so damn touchy?

Oh, look there's a new kid! Lets touch his bruises! Hey, he's not high and the rest of us are. Lets spread the love of being high here! Oh. New kid is feeling sick. Lets touch his back. I don't say anything about it though. If it is James, then I don't really mind. He's the only other one that isn't high.

"I think we said too much about him and his sex buddy!" Jackson announces, yelling, like always. I've decided it's the only way he talks.

_No_, I think, running my fingers through my hair._ I actually feel sick._

There's some laughter, and I groan, sitting up again. For a few seconds, everybody is quiet, and I get my hopes up thinking that they would be quiet any longer.

"Hey, Brandon! Sex is a funny word," Jacob giggles. Yes, giggles. Like a fucking eight year old. "I mean, who came up with the idea of it first? Humans or animals? Like what if some people saw animals having sex and just went 'We should do that too!' Then BOOM!" Jacob shouts, slamming his hands down onto the table. "Nine months later, first real baby is born! Not Jesus, but a BABY! You know, one without the power to walk on water."

Jacob bursts into a fit of hysterical laughter, like it's the funniest thing in the world. And maybe to a high guy, it is. Since all of them are high, I decide to cut some slack on them. I know from experience that when you're high, you either start thinking and you think you're Albert Einstein, or you just do and say completely stupid things.

"Oh, my god!" A boy with no name shouts, running his fingers through his dyed hair, looking like he wants to pull all of it out. "Guys, I think the sun is on fire!" For a few seconds, I actually think that this is a bad thing. I have to remind myself that it's a good thing that the sun is on fire.

Yep, juvie is a lot better than this place.

"Holy shit! It is! Look at it!" Someone shouts from the window, and I sigh. How the fuck did I end up here? I don't even smoke. Or do drugs for that matter. Hopefully this is a place that's supposed to help them get off. I already plan to make this place actually do something if I ever get out.

James just laughs as he shakes his head. "Look at you. Poor guy, you don't even know what's going on." His baby face makes its way into my vision again, and I feel relived for some weird reason. For sure he'll answer my questions.

"Uh, why am I here? It's gotta be a mess up. They said they were gonna put me in juvie."

James just shrugs. "Same reason why I'm here. Putting me in juvie was gonna be to much work. Or you were caught selling . Got into a fight with a poor defenseless guy. Name anything in the book."

"So it's basically a place for messed up kids."

"Hey, at least you have us! I heard Girls United is way worse!" James says cheerfully, a smile forming into his lips.

"There's one for girls too?"

"Well, yeah. But it might be shutting down because they live in an asshole neighborhood, but still. The girl who works there, Rita, I like her. She's actually pretty cool." James informs me, and I just nod. Great. There's no way I'll be able to get out of here, no matter what I do.

"Hey! It's the hawk!"

Thank the lord. If I was stuck here by myself with theses boys, I'm pretty sure I'd go crazy. Everybody starts to freak out, shouting something about unlocking the door, acting normal and cleaning up.

I just sit there, slightly enjoying the fact that all of them are scared of one guy. I mean, if they really wanted to, they could easily get rid of him. "You!" Jacob shouts, looking at me. "You just stay where you are!"

I never planned on moving from my spot on the couch. I don't have a place to go, anyways. Then just as fast as it started, everybody is quiet again. I just sit there awkwardly as they all stare in the direction of the door, and I find myself doing the same. Then the door flies open, and they all flinch.

I didn't know what to expect. A super tall, buff, scary guy who was meant to put all of us in place. Not a short, pudge man wearing a shirt two sizes small and crooked, greasy glasses. They're scared of this guy? To stop myself from laughing, I bite my lip. It'd be very ironic to laugh now, when everybody else looks terrified.

"So you're the new one," The man says, and I just nod silently, knowing that it's probably the best choice right now. "I'm Hudson Kaufman. The owner of this place. The rest of the boys know how everything works. They'll tell you how the chores go, all of that stuff. Every single day you have to be here by 11:00 PM, and on the weekends, I don't care what you do as long as you're back on Monday and don't cause any problems. Am I clear?"

"Uh, yes Sir?" I say, unsure of what he wants me to do.

Hudson just nods, and then shrugs like there's no problem. "There's gonna be another kid coming in here tomorrow. I want the house to be spotless and expect a meeting."

"But it's gonna be football!" Jacob shouts from the back of the room, and I only sigh. These kids actually care more about football then even trying to get out of here?

Morons.

I am surrounded by morons.

"Do I look like I care?" Hudson asks, finally looking away from me as he looks at Jacob. "No. If the house isn't clean by the time I get here tomorrow, then all of you are stuck here longer that you should be."

Everybody is quiet, and he looks at all of us before he walks out the front door. "So you guys are still able to do whatever you want?"

"Well, like he said, Hudson doesn't care unless somebody calls him," Jacob says, then shivers, like the idea scares him. "And when that happens, it's not pretty. He goes crazy."

Great. There's no way I even have a chance of getting out of here, and if I even do get out, there's no way that I'll be able to see Callie again. That's what he said at least, that they thought I decided to get in a fight with Liam, and in a way, I did. To protect Callie, and my plan still backfires. They think that I raped her. The idea of me possibly hurting her makes me feel even worse.

I told her that I know what it's like, just because the same thing happened to Sarah. Which was a lie. I'll never know what it's like to be forced to do something I don't want to do. Instead, I'll only know what it's like to want to help someone so bad, but never be able to do it because I either mess up the chance of helping them or I just don't know what to do. Right now, for an example. I want to help Callie fix things between her and Stef, but I can't do that. Not as long as I'm here. As long as I'm here, I'm basically dead to the world. Anything I say, and thing I do, it won't matter. It won't help me. It won't help any of the other kids here.

"Brandon!" Jacob shouts, and I just look at him, not in the mood to say anything. "I heard the new guy looks like you! Black and blue, ya know? Because of his dad!"

Like that's supposed to make me feel so much better. Obviously in his state of mind, it won't matter at all, and it'll be like we're best friends. Tomorrow, I can only expect the worst. Having to deal with all of this.

Callie makes her way back into my mind, and I just run my fingers through my hair. I have no idea what she's doing right now, but I hope that she's just trying to forget about me, that way I don't mess anything else up between her and Stef. By now, it's clear that Stef's the reason why I'm stuck here. I don't blame her at all. I deserve to be here after what I've done to Callie, making her problems come back for her. The whole thing with Liam, that was my fault. If I were able to keep my temper, then Callie would've never gotten hurt.

The front door flies open again, and all of us look at it blankly. "Change of plans," Hudson says proudly, pulling on the arm in his hand, only for me to seen another bruised face, forcing me to look at all the bad things I've done. "New kid right now. And we're having a meeting."

If it were up to me, I'd be pushing him out of here, telling him to find a different kid, but instead, Vico just gives me a smile when his eyes land on me. Everybody else has scrambled to a seat, and Hudson just smiles, pushing Vico onto the couch next to me.

"Okay, newbies, you guys start. Tell us your names or something."

"Hey. I'm Vico," he says, looking at me, and I know that he's just happy to see me stuck here with him. "And I'm the one who did that do Brandon's face."


	2. Chapter 2 (Callie)

The house in front of me doesn't look like it belongs to someone who's addicted to drugs. As horrible it sounds. I look at the address scribbled on to the crinkled piece of paper, and it's the same. I don't even know that I'm going to say. Yell at her for being a idiot? Probably. Tell her about the situation Brandon is in? No way. Not yet, at least.

Sighing, I knock on the door and stuff my hands into my pockets awkwardly. I'm not exactly sure of what to expect. My moms thinking I'm staying after school for a project, and in some sort of weird way, I am. I remember doing the same thing, lying about it when I found out that my father was out of jail.

The door flies open, and I know that she's shocked that I didn't ditch her. To be honest, I couldn't do it, not when she's the only chance that Brandon has at getting out of there.

"You must be Callie."

"Uh, yeah. That's me." I answer awkwardly, surprised by how put together she looks. Shouldn't a drug addict look more... Trashy? But then again, everybody has a secret part of them. Even Brandon.

"Why don't you come in?" She offers, and I don't say anything, just walk in, everything organized. Neat stacks of papers. I can't help but think if those are the one's she signed to put Brandon in a foster house.

The idea angers me, how she could easily be taking care of him right now. It's clear that she has enough money to support him and Sarah. Maybe she'd forget about her drugs for once if they were here with her. But instead she's here, talking to me when Brandon looks horrible and is probably confused.

"Please, take a seat."

I don't want to take a seat, but I take one on the couch as she sits down in chair across from me. "What's your name?" I blurt out, not realizing how stupid it sounds. "Brandon never talked about you."

"Ava," She says quietly, like she's just realizing what she did to him. Leave him alone in the world like my parents did to me and Jude. At least she had a choice. My parents didn't. If the accident didn't happen, Jude and I'd would probably still be living with them happily. "But you're here about Brandon. How is my little boy?"

"He's stuck in a house for troubled kids. He didn't do anything wrong. I figured that you'd be able to help, you know, seeing how well you've been doing." I tell her coldly, not able to look at her. There's no way that Brandon his like his mom. He's just so... loyal? He would've never left Sarah if it were up to him. He wouldn't leave me.

Suddenly there's coldness in her eyes, and I regret saying it, but it's the truth. She should help him. She wasn't there for him at all, and if was telling me the truth over the phone, she'd be willing to help him now. If not him, then Sarah.

"Brandon is in a place for 'troubled boys'? Why?" She demands, and it hits me how dangerous she could be. I've seen what Brandon is like when he's mad. Right after Vico hit me, Brandon was so mad, I was even surprised he stopped hitting him. Hopefully, she won't get that mad.

"He... He got in a fight," I manage to say, knowing that I'm going to have to tell Ava the truth eventually, no matter how much I don't want too. "It wasn't his fault. Brandon was protecting me."

"Protecting you," Ava says weakly, some of the anger gone, and she seems to actually hear me this time, taking time to let the words sink in. "He always did that, try to protect Sarah. Especially after his dad left."

"But you can help him!" I say quickly before she tells me that she doesn't know what to do, or doesn't want to do anything. "You're his mom! You can get him out of that place. Trust me, he doesn't belong there."

"Of course my boy doesn't belong there. He might have a short temper, but he's not a troubled boy! But I can't help him."

"Yes, you can," I urge her. She has to help him. She can't just disappear forever, she needs to do something. "You have enough money. You're his mom."

"His birth mom," Ava corrects me, running her fingers through her hair. "I signed papers along time ago that took away my right of being his mother today."

"You're a moron," I tell her, suddenly on my feet. There's no way I'm going to spend another minute in this room, feet away from someone who has made Brandon's life living hell. "Leaving your kids like that."

"You don't know what it's lik-"

"Yes I do! I've been thrown away before! But my mom and Dad didn't have a choice, it just happened! You... You had a choice and you decided to leave! Nobody should ever leave their kid alone. Not when you have choice." My anger is gone just as fast as it comes, and for a few seconds I'm proud of myself. I shouldn't be. None of this is helping Brandon. If anything, it's just making things for him harder.

"You don't tell me about my mistakes," Ava tells me slowly, coldly. For a few moments, I feel like I should actually be scared of her, but the look in her eyes tells me that I shouldn't. Her eyes have the same guilt Brandon's have. Even when he was doing something good. "I'm very aware of what they are."

"You clearly aren't if you don't try to help Brandon. He needs you. If you know that abandoning him was a mistake, then you'd try to help him, wouldn't you?" I ask, still trying to bring up a point, but I know it's useless. She's right. If she did sign those papers like she told me, then there's no way that I can help Brandon. Stef and Lena refuse to do anything... And his dad. As far as I know, his dad is dead.

"You might be able to see his dad." Ava offers me, and I shake my head.

"Brandon's dad is dead."

Ava just laughs, and shakes her head. "It'd be easier if he were actually dead. Instead, five years later he's handing me a speeding ticket. He's a smart asshole, that's what his father is. Pretending to be dead."

"But his dad wouldn't be able to h-"

"His dad never had to sign those papers. If you really want to find him, he's a cop now."

Like that is going to help. There's thousands of cops in California. How am I supposed to find one that might be Brandon's dad. Even if I did find him, I doubt he'll want to help Brandon. Not when he left for a reason.

Ava is staring at me, like she's waiting for me to say something, but I don't have anything to say.

Stef and Lena are in the kitchen when I get home. Not that it surprises me. Ever since I found out that it was Stef's idea, I've just been mad at her. About everything, and she thinks I'm the one overacting after Brandon was protecting me.

"How was your project?" Stef asks, like everything is okay.

I just ignore her as I get the orange juice from the fridge. Lena doesn't say anything, and I know that she's just making sure that we don't start fighting again, the only thing we've been doing for the past week.

"How was your project?" Stef repeats, and I just sigh.

"It was lovely. How was your day? Sending more boys to a place they don't belong?" I say, finally answering her.

For a few seconds, I expect Stef to start defending herself, explaining why she thought that I needed her protection. Only if.

I turn my attention to Lena. "What about you? I bet you had fun at work today, you know. Actually managing to show your kids you care about them."

That gets Stef to start talking. "Callie, we've already been over this! All of us knew that Brandon isn't the safest person to be arou-"

"Why couldn't you just send Liam there? Liam's the one who hurt me, not Brandon!"

"You came home with a bruise on your face!"

"Because of Liam!" I close my eyes, sighing. "Stef, you don't get it. Brandon... He would never hurt me. Not on purpose. But Liam, he's a bad person. All Brandon ever did is try to help me."

Stef just stares at me, looking shocked at what I said. I have never brought up Liam about this. Until now, but everything I said is true. I wasn't lying about Brandon wanting to help me. If anything, that's the only thing he did do. Help me. Not with just Liam, but with other things.

I just leave them there, not able to stand it anymore. I need to be alone for a while. Mariana is at the top of the stairs, giving me a small smile as if to say _Boy problems suck. _

They do.

But I'm pretty sure that most boy problems were caused because he didn't want to watch a chick flick or because he was talking to another girl. Mine, well they aren't normal boy problems. A boy in a house for troubled boys. One who's about to move to Indiana.

"Hey, I'm on your side." Mariana tells me quietly.

"You didn't even know Brandon that well," I point out, throwing my backpack into the corner of my room, sighing as I lay on my bed. "I mean, you guys talked, but yo-"

"Never got to know him. You're right. But I talked to him enough to know that he was falling for you. I mean, he never stopped talking about you."

I can't help but smile. "He was actually different, you know. I mean, so was Wyatt. But in the end, Wyatt was like a normal teenage boy. But Brandon... He actually tried to understand me. Like he didn't care about the bad things." I shrug, not knowing what I'm trying to say, and Mariana sits next to me.

"You seemed happy around him."

For some reason, my eyes start watering. Maybe it's the fact Stef and I can't say anything to each other without us fighting. But I know that isn't the reason. It's because Brandon's gone. I never thought that he would have such a impact on me. But now that's all I can think about. That there's a good chance that I'll never see him again. Stef made that clear when she found out that we had a thing.

"I was," I say miserably, then feel bad. Mariana is actually wasting her time on me. "I'm happy with you too," I add on quickly. "That you're my sister."

Mariana laughs. "I was kinda hoping that or the past few years were just a waste of your time."

I feel even worse when she's says that. This past week, I've barely said a word to her until today. If I were her, I'd be angry that she's spending so much time on a boy that she can't even help. But it's Mariana. If anything, she probably feels happy that I am. I wrap my arm around her shoulders. "You aren't a waste of time."

"Neither is crying over a boy," Mariana points out, and I just fake a laugh. "I'm serious, Cals. If it upsets you that much, then cry. No one is going to judge you."

"I'm good."

Mariana just raises her eyebrow, and I sigh. "You're not gonna cry?" She asks, sounding shocked almost. "I kinda thought you would by now."

"That makes me feel _so_ much better."

"Hey, on the bright side, there's a chance that you'll see him again, right?"

"If Stef lets that happen. Which I highly doubt. You know, she did like Brandon until she thought that he..."

"Hurt you? I know. I overheard Stef with Lena once about wanting to adopt him."

"So I just ruined everything for him, trying to see him, the chance of him getting adopted. Tell me something else before I screw that up for him too."

"Uh, I don't really know anything else. How did it go with his mom?"

"She's horrible. You know, she had _choice_, Mariana. But instead she sends them off in the world without any help for them. And Brandon told me that his dad is dead, but it turns out that he's alive. Brandon thought that his own dad was dead."

Mariana seems to be just as shocked as I was when I found out. "His... Dad is still alive, and Brandon doesn't even know?" She asks, and I only nod in response. "Wait, does his dad know about him being in the system?"

"I have no idea, his mom abandoned them after his dad 'died'. Probably not. If it makes you feel better, he's a cop."

"That doesn't sound much better. Right now, at least."

"Tell me something I don't know." I grumble, wanting to forget about everything, but I can't. Not when Brandon is on my mind all the time.

Sometimes I wish that I never met him, that I could still be with Wyatt and not have to worry about another person. Then I feel bad for wishing that, knowing that Brandon has helped me so much more than Wyatt has in less then seven months. The idea of not knowing Brandon now scares me. There's no way I can live without him now.

Not just as that over clingy girlfriend, that just wants to be with him because he's on the football team. But the idea of going a few more days without him upsets me. Just to know that he's okay, that he's still _here _is enough for me. Just to know that he's able to do stuff and could do whatever he wants is enough for me.

I forgot that Mariana was even in here with me.

"Do you think that there's a way to get him out? I mean, we both know that it's nothing like girls United. All the boys that have ever gone there are still in that place."

I sigh. "I don't know. But I'm going to figure it out. As soon as I find his father, because honesty, that's the only thing I can think of."

"You really think that his dad will help him now? Don't you think there's a reason why he left, that he hasn't been trying to get to Brandon or Sarah?" Mariana asks, looking at me like I'm crazy, and we both know that there's a high chance that I'll never find him anyways.

"It's the only chance Brandon has."


	3. Chapter 3 (Brandon)

_Slowly, my hands find her waist. No matter how much I know that she isn't weak, I can't help but treat her like she's going to break. If anything, Callie's the farthest thing from weak. Even though, I tell myself I have to be careful with her. People can only take so much before they fall apart. There's always one thing that sends them over the edge. And maybe for Callie, I'll be that thing._

_Callie's hands find my hair, her fingers knotting themselves in it, like she's afraid to let me go. We're too close. What we're doing is dangerous, but right now, I don't care about the consequences. I'll find a way to get through all of them. I always do._

_I can't help but let out a small, short breath laugh. "Your moms can walk in any second."_

_"Shh, you're ruining the moment. Just listen to the music and dance with me, B." Callie tells me quietly, her warm breath on my face. We're barely even dancing. Unless you count dancing as swaying._

_"I_ _thought I ruined it when I stepped on your foot." I say, and Callie just sighs._

_"Just be quiet." Listening to her, I give her a smile before tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to listen to the song like she wants me to, but I can't. All I can really focus on is not stepping on her foot again, and her._

_Deciding that I can only focus on once at a time, I bury my face in her neck, still trying to listen to the song, but I can barely make out the lyrics as I let Callie take over me. For the hundredth time, but it still feels new. Her body, the scent of her hair. Callie doesn't say anything, and I can't help but kiss the soft skin just under her ear._

_"You're amazing," I whisper, my hands playing with the end of her shirt nervously. "More amazing than me." I add on jokingly, and she just laughs lightly._

_"Of course I am," Callie says, and I just smile at her, happy that she agrees with me for once. When I don't answer, she becomes serious, lowering her voice. "You're amazing too."_

_I_ _just look at her, giving her a smile. "You can think that."_

_"I'm serious," she whispers, like she's afraid that someone will overhear us. "All the things you do... You're just trying to do what's right."_

_"That doesn't mean I'm amazing. You're the amazing one." I tell her honestly, and her cheeks grow red, like I gave her a huge and great complement._

_"I still think you're amazing." Callie tells me, and I just give her another smile before kissing her gently. I've kissed Callie before, but now it feels different, like there's no risk behind it. Neither one of us will get hurt._

_"You're better," I mumble into the kiss, and I feel her lips curve into a smile. "So much better." I mumble as Callie pulls me on top of her, her small hands making their way under my shirt._

_"You know, I wish it could be like this all the time," Callie whispers, and I look at her, confused by what she means. "Being together. Happily, at least."_

_"Yeah, I think that's a challenge for us, isn't it?"_

* * *

><p>"Yo, Brandon, wake up. We need you bro." Jacob says, and I let out a groan, pushing his face out of mine.<p>

"Let me sleep," I grumble, burying my face into my pillow, trying to remember the scent of Callie. "I did most of the cleaning last night. I'm not doing anymore shit for you."

"It's not that. It's Vico. He's going crazy, you know him, right?"

"Didn't you hear him last night? He's the one who did this to my face. So of course I know him. Tell him to do it himself. I'm tired of helping people." I grumble, my mood not getting any better. I just want to be left alone in this house for a few minutes. That's all I ask for.

"Ooohhh, I see," Jacob says, and I can literally hear the smile in his voice. "You were dreaming about your girl, weren't you?"

"I miss her," I mumble like a five year old, finally looking at him, feeling stupid about talking to him about Callie. Or talking about Callie for that matter, not when I'm here anyways. "Like at lot."

"Somebody's in love!" Jacob says happily in a sing song voice before growing serious. "No, seriously, Vico's going crazy. He's breaking a bunch of shit."

"Not my damn problem. Let me sleep."

Jacob seems to think about this, and he's quite for a few seconds. "Come on, man. If you help Vico, I'll let you go see your girl."

It grabs my attention, and I look at him, running my fingers through my hair. "Seriously?" I ask him hopefully, not sure if he's lying or not.

"Seriously. Just stop Vico and you can go. Simple as that, man. We'll just tell the Hawk that we made you go food shopping or something like that." Jacob tells me, and it's enough to have me get out of bed.

I go down the stairs two at a time, now well aware of all the yelling, and the sickening crash of glass. Jacob is close behind me, and for once, everybody else seems actually in shock in what is going on. I make it to the living room in time to see Vico send another ugly vase to the floor.

"Dude!" I shout, louder than I intended, and his eyes land on me immediately, and I can see the anger reflecting in them, and I know that he's dangerous right now. "What the hell are you doing?" I demand, and I can feel everybody else's eyes on me, like they're shocked that I'm still talking.

"You." Vico says angrily, pointing a crooked finger at me, taking a few steps towards me.

"Me." I say, even though I know it'll only make him angrier, and I wait for him to do something.

"You. Ruin. Everything!" Vico yells, his voice rising with every word, and he slams his hand against the wall in anger. "Everything! My scholarship! My future, everything! Because you couldn't keep your shitty mouth closed!"

I let out a forced laugh, but I do know where he's coming from. I did drag him down here with me. I would me mad too, but he deserved it. To be stuck here, waiting until he's allowed to leave and try to pull his life back together. He should've seen it coming.

"And trashing this place is going to help?" I ask, surprised by how calm I've managed to stay the entire time.

"Fuck you," Vico spits out before sitting down on the couch in defeat. "You're such an idiot. I didn't even do anything wrong. God, I can't ev-"

Then I explode, my anger coming just as fast as his disappeared. "You didn't do anything wrong?" I demand, my hands balling into fists. "You sold the fake I.D's! You're the one who hit Callie, and you're saying you don't belong here? You're an asshole! You deserve to be here more than I do!"

Without waiting for his response, I grab my sweatshirt and walk out the front door, making a deal to slam it shut. At this point, I don't care if I get caught or not. I just care about seeing Callie, to tell her I'm sorry for screwing all of this up. I know for a fact that things between her Stef haven't been that good since I've gotten here. I can almost hear them fighting, Stef saying something about me hurting her, then Callie defending me.

I run my fingers through my hair, sighing.

How did I get myself into this mess?

I already know the answer to that. I guess that the real question is why did I drag Callie down this path with me. It wasn't my choice. It's a reasonable answer, but that's not the truth. The truth is that I just couldn't keep my distance from her, and like always, things go wrong.

Sometimes, when I'm in a bad mood, I like to think about how things would be if my dad were still alive. We'd be happy, that's for sure. My mom, Sarah and I. And hopefully my dad would be too. Maybe he'd wouldn't go over seas anymore, and he'd be a marine biologist, something he'd always talked about. It's pathetic, but I remember the day he'd promise me that he would take me scuba diving with him. I would probably end up playing piano with him, constantly trying to prove that I'm better than him, even though we both know that I'm not.

I shake my head to clear it, running my fingers through my hair again. You can't think about the people you lost. That just makes you weaker. Think about yourself. Is what my dad used to tell me when I asked him about he best friend that he lost.

Then, I ended up losing him.

As stupid as it is, I miss him. Sometimes I even wish that it was my mom who died instead, then I feel bad wishing that because she's human, just like my dad was. But honestly, my dad was better than she was. Some people just aren't made to be parents, and my mom ended up being one of them.

My feet don't carry me to Callie's house like my mind wanted me to go. Instead, I'm a the cemetery, and for once, it's not for Lou. It's for my dad.

I've only been to my dads grave once, and it was for his funeral. My mom demanded that they closed the coffin, and I was so upset that I wouldn't get see him one last time, but at that same time I was so relived that I wouldn't have to deal with the guilt. I didn't stay to read my eulogy, instead I left half way through and never came back, expect for the time Lou died.

Now I'm stuck here, staring at the headstone my mom made me pick out, which only said two simple things. His name and the day he died. I was too young to remember how old he was, so I did the only thing that I thought of.

Looking back at it, I should've been smart enough to know what else to put on it, like 'beloved husband and father' or something like that.

"You're more than just a name, Dad," I finally say, feeling like I should say something. I haven't been hear for years, and I magically show up one day. "So much more. I know I'm a shitty son, doing all the stupid things I've done. It'd be better if you were still here."

Then I'm walking away, not sure of what else I'm supposed to say or do. This time, I pay attention to where I'm going, and my brain notices those stupid little things that shouldn't matter to me. Like the small crack in the sidewalk. The poor little kid whose's crying because he dropped his ice cream. For once, nobody stares at me. No lingering looks, and it feels weird.

I get to The Foster's faster then I thought I would, and I know that there's no way that I can just knock on the front door and expect them to let me in. So I just go into the back yard, and it takes a lot of effort do just get one of my legs on the lowest part of the roof.

I'd be screwed if somebody just walked out and saw my other leg just dangling there. I stay like this for a few seconds, catching my breath. This would be a waste of time if Callie isn't here. Instead of debating on my choice, I just knock on her window quickly. A few seconds later, the blinds open, and Callie throws open the window.

"Brandon?" Callie says, clearly shocked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Are you going to let me in?" I ask, and I know she's disappointed in my answer, and we both know that I'm here because I really want to be. "I miss you." I add on quietly, not sure how she'll react. In fact, I almost expect her to yell at me.

"I miss you, too," Callie whispers, her forehead resting against mine. "But you really shouldn't be here."

My heart drops. I was hoping that she'd be happier to to see me, but I was clearly wrong. "But I am here. Please let me in." I urge her, my eyes landing on the bruise under her eye.

Callie sighs, and steps back, giving me access to her room, and I climb in easily, and before I can even say anything else, her arms are around my neck, and I'm caught off guard, but I wrap my arms around her waist.

"Are you okay?" I whisper into her ear, pulling her closer to me, thankful to have her skin against mine.

"I'm fine." Callie mumbles into my shirt, and my fingers play with the end of hers absentmindedly.

"You don't sound okay, Cals, look at me." I plead with her, already feeling the tension between us. Callie seems more distant then she usually is with me.

"B, I'm fine."

"Callie, please." I whisper desperately, knowing that there not much chance that I'll get far with her. Once people start to push you away, you can't fight against it, it just happens.

Callie looks at me, but her eyes don't meet mine, and my eyes land on the bruise again. "I've should've stopped him," I mutter, my fingers brushing against her cheek, not able to hide the guilt. "He should've it me. Callie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm a shitty person and I screw your life up, but I care about you. I really do. Don't push me away."

Callie still doesn't say anything, and I sigh, letting go of her. I should just listen to her message. "You know what?" I ask quietly, shaking my head. "You're right. I shouldn't be here."

"Bran-"

"You said it yourself, Cals. I shouldn't be here. And you don't want me here."

"Brandon it's not that," Callie says so quietly, that barely hear her. "Please, stay with me for a few minutes."

"No," I tell her, more coldly than I expected. "I shouldn't be here. I'll come back later. Maybe." For the first time in a while, the idea of habing to leave upsets me.


	4. Chapter 4 (Callie)

I'm left standing there as Brandon climbs out of my window, and I know I'm stupid for just standing there and letting him leave. Brandon risked everything by coming here, and I couldn't even act happy to see him.

Not that I wasn't happy to see him. I was, but the only thing I can think about is that his dad is alive and he doesn't even know that. It's ridiculous that his dad was on my mind a when I just saw Brandon for the first time in almost two months. How will Brandon react when I tell him that his dad is still alive?

I've seen Brandon mad before, and I know how dangerous he can get, but I can only imagine how he'll get when his dad whose's been dead for almost three years is actually very well and alive. Not to mention the fact that he's living in the same town as him. Brandon won't be mad. He'll be furious. Then everything will go down in flames. Literally.

It'll be weeks before Brandon comes back here, I'm sure of it. And every single day, I'll be stuck here thinking about why I have to screw everything up. Brandon was right in front of me, perfectly fine, and I just told him that he shouldn't be here. I've never heard Brandon ever sound so hurt as he started to climb out the window. What did he say?

I'll come back later. Maybe.

I'm really starting to think that he meant never. God, I'm such an idiot sometimes. We all make mistakes. But I'm pretty sure that people don't make mistakes when the right answer is in front of them.

Brandon's probably pissed off and I'm pissed off at myself. I should've just let him in. Even if it was only for ten minutes and risk him getting caught, because even after everything that happened, he's willing to risk everything for me, just like I'd do for him.

There's a loud, demanding knock at my door, and I want to keep it closed, but in the anger creeping into me at my actions towards Brandon, I open it. Nothing can make things worse right now.

Stef's standing there, and I'm about to close it, deciding that she's the only thing that can make things worse, but she stops me. "Callie, wait. I thought about what you said about Brandon, and I talked it over with Lena... I can't promise you this, but I'm going to try to get him out of there. Because you're right. I know Brandon well enough that he would never hurt you on purpose."

"How is this supposed to make me feel better?" I demand, still not ready to forgive Stef just yet. Lena's probably the one who made most of these choices. "You still put him in there like some sort of criminal."

"Callie, it was a simple misunderstanding. Please realize that."

"A misunderstanding that affects his the rest of his life, Stef!"

"It can affect mine, too. Callie, I could fired, or arrested for pressing wrong charges. That's how important my job is." Stef desperately explains, but she should know that it's going to take a lot more for me to forgive her. If I'm even ready to do that.

"You deserve to be fired," I tell her coldly, and before I can even take back what I just said, I go on. "It won't matter anyways. Wanna know why? His dad is still alive. So if you do get him get him out, you'll have to find his dad."

This time, it's Stef's turn to stand there quietly as she processes what I just said. I already know what she's going to say. That she'll find his dad, no matter what she does. Even though almost every time I see her, I get angry, I seem to be clam now. I can't stay mad at my mom forever. Because as stupid as it sounds, she's my mom and I love her.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Stef questions carefully, and I just roll my eyes.

"Mom, do you honestly think I would lie about something like this?" I ask her, and when she doesn't answer right away, I know that she did think I was lying.

"Well, I'll find his dad."

"I want to help."

"Callie, I don't think that's a good idea. We have no idea what he could be li-"

"Stef, please. I'll do anything to help Brandon. Even if that means having to go to another country to find his dad."

Stef knows that I'm completely serious, and she just stands there, trying to come up with a different way, to have me stay out of it, but I'm already in the middle, just waiting for something to happen.

"I'll have to talk about it with Lena." Stef finally says, and I can't help but smile. She doesn't say anything as she walks away to her room, and I stop her before she can disappear.

"Wait, mom. You know that I love you, right?" I ask unsurely, feeling awkward to say it so directly after avoiding her for weeks.

"I know," Stef says, giving me a small smile. "I love you, too." She adds on, almost like she's afraid that I don't know that. But I do. Every single day, she've tried to talk to me but I just kept ignoring her. It's hard to believe that she thought I still cared about her. I acted like she was nothing, and that's a shitty thing to do. Especially when I know what it's like to be treated like nothing.

"I'm really sorry about the way I've been acting towards you." I say weakly, in an attempt in to talk to her again.

"Things happen." Stef says and disappears into her room, and I'm left standing there for the second time today, regretting everything that I've been doing. Brandon makes his way back into my mind, and I just sigh before I close my door. I screw everything up. The look on Brandon's face before he left is burned in my mind. I've never seen Brandon so... _Hurt_?

I tell myself that Brandon will get over it because that's what he does. He doesn't let things affect him. They might hurt him or bother him, but he just keeps going like it's not there. Hopefully he won't get to upset when he finds out what I'm doing.


End file.
